STATIC-X kicked off their “Rise Of The Machine” tour last night (Saturday, February 25) in San Francisco, California which saw the debut of frontman Xeros’ new mask
You can check out footage from the concert below courtesy of Capital Chaos TV.
Xero‘s new look is the product of costume/prop maker Eddie Yang and his Deity Creative, known for his work on such feature films as “Avatar“, “Iron Man“, “Man Of Steel“, “Terminator: Salvation” and countless others.
The updated Xer0 look, which includes a new mask and wardrobe, was the result of a collaboration between DOPE frontman and creative director Edsel Dope (Xer0), Ed McDonough from ECCO Studios and Eddie Yang. The idea for the new mask and overall image update was born out of a desire from STATIC-X to evolve Xer0‘s appearance to match the theme of the “Rise Of The Machine” tour. The new look made its debut at last night’s concert in San Francisco.
Says Yang: “I have always been a metal fan and have listened to STATIC-X since their first release ‘Wisconsin Death Trip‘. I am honored to contribute to Wayne’s [Static, late STATIC-X frontman] legacy and to work with the band on their incredible vision for evolving STATIC-X and Xer0 into something that is truly unique. This project finally combined my passion for character design and metal music into one big check-off the bucket list.”
“Eddie is a genius” says Xer0. “We wanted to evolve the Xer0 character into a more cybernetic/robotic figure for the ‘Rise Of The Machine‘ tour and Eddie absolutely fucking killed it!!!!!!!
“Eddie took the mask to a level that we never imagined possible, and we are so stoked with the result,” adds bassist Tony Campos.
STATIC-X‘s eighth studio album, “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2“, is scheduled for release on November 3. The LP is a collection of 13 brand-new songs that contain the final vocal performances and musical compositions of founding vocalist Wayne Static, along with the original “Wisconsin Death Trip” lineup featuring Campos, Fukuda and Jay. The new album was produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by longtime collaborator Ulrich Wild.
All of the music associated with “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2” is the result of collaborations between the four founding members along with their new vocalist/guitarist/producer Xer0. No additional guests appear on the album and there were no outside contributions to the songwriting, musical compositions, or the performances on “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2“. Between the two releases, STATIC-X fans around the globe have been treated to over two dozen brand new songs — most of which feature Static on lead vocals — and all released after his untimely passing.
STATIC-X — featuring the lineup of bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay, guitarist Koichi Fukuda and Xer0 — will hit the road in 2023, headlining the “Rise Of The Machine” tour with FEAR FACTORY alongside DOPE, MUSHROOMHEAD and TWIZTID. The 42-date trek kicks off February 25 in San Francisco, California and wraps up April 15, in Los Angeles, California. Dates have been selling out across the country, with select markets upgrading to larger venues to meet the demand for the tour. STATIC-X also recently revealed plans for a tour of Australia and an appearance at the Blue Ridge Rock Fest this year.
Founder and original STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014. According to a coroner’s report, he died after mixing Xanax and other prescription drugs with alcohol. He was 48 years old.
Wayne Static founded STATIC-X in 1994. The band would release six studio albums before disbanding in June 2013.